Opening 10 Nov 2005
Directed by:
Miguel Albaladejo
Writing credits:
Miguel Albaladejo, Salvador García Ruiz
Principal actors:
José Luis García Pérez, David Castillo, Empar Ferrer, Elvira Lindo, Arno Chevrier
The title Cachorro means Bear Cub, and in this film all the gay Spanish men looked the same: big with black hair all over their bodies, butch hair cuts and some bearded. It could have been the annual conference of the Steif stuffed-toy company, whether they were cooking, dancing, or banging away three-in-a-bed. Pedro (José Luis García-Perez) becomes Papa Bear when the vacation babysitting for his 11-year-old nephew Bernardo turns into a permanent job; the child’s mother has been too dumb for words. She was arrested with drugs between India and Tibet and lands in jail for an indefinite time – at least until Bernardo grows up. Pedro, who has a good dental practice and plenty of original ideas for spending his free time, renovates his apartment for the boy and digs in for a long parenthood. Along comes an ogre of a grandmother – the boy’s dead father’s mama – who has wanted to sink her claws into him for a long time. She wins custody after Pedro’s homosexual lifestyle is scrutinized by the courts. Their final compromise is for Bernardo to grow up in a boarding school with visiting rights for both. The topic is pertinent today with the controversy about same-sex marriages and adoptions by gay couples. The film tries to show that people should not be judged by their sexual orientation. Although the ending is not satisfactory, it is probably realistic. (Becky Tan)
